Topic: The Adventures of Rumia (Read 3164 times)

This story is an adapted version of a RPG Quest I ran a while ago, however, it died shortly before the climax of the overall storyline. Due to not wanting the finale untold, I have decided to adapt the finished quest into a story, with the earlier installments updated to reflect future events and tie into each other better, with overall less plotholes.

The general plot has seven 'arcs' although there are some sub-arcs involved as well. The first Arc isn't the most interesting, but likewise, is important to future relations, so I can't really cut it out or condense it. The story picks up at the 2nd major arc [Where of course I knew there would be more than the initial storyline]. I hope to get the first arc done in 2~3 chapters, so the real meat of the story can begin. [The Makai Arc].

I'm not any expert in writing fiction, so constructive feedback on how top improve my writing style is greatly anticipated and appreciated. Generic 'You suck' comments are not, of course.

Night. The time of Youkai. Of course, some youkai, people think of first when they think of night. Vampires, for example, are what springs to mind when most think of the ‘Youkai of the Night’, especially due to Remilia Scarlet’s ego. Some would think of the Night Sparrow, or even Lunarians.

However, this is simply not the truth. There is one little youkai everyone should think of first when they think of the darkness of the night. She is not the strongest, the most fearsome, or the smartest. No-one is even clear on what sort of youkai she actually is... or much about her.

However, she is the Youkai of Darkness, nonetheless. She is Rumia, a child-like youkai grabed in a black dress and skirt, along with a white blouse, with a red tie, with two attached red orbs visible. However, what is most interesting is the red ribbon upon her head, which she cannot touch, let alone remove.

The youkai flew aimlessly, as per usual, around the forest she lives in, in her usual cross-like pose, arms reached out, when she spotted something flying towards her. This something was something she hadn’t seen for a while. A red and white Miko.

Most youkai know better than to get in Reimu’s way when she is flying at night-time, as this inevitably means that there is an incident, or else she would be sleeping at home. The fact Reimu has to do anything also is a sure sign that she is in a foul mood. Of course, Rumia is not ‘most youkai’, and the small, childish youkai, decided to fly in Reimu’s path.

She broke her stance for a moment, to pull out from her pocket a frozen frog. A frog Cirno gave her that she froze earlier. The frog was close to being thawed by this time, leaving the youkai’s pocket, and hands, wet.

“Reimu! Look at my frog!” she says happily.

Reimu stopped, and looked disapprovingly.

“Are you attempting to distract me so you can try and eat me again?” Reimu asks.

Reimu faceplams. “I don’t have time for this. I need to find that book that got stolen from Remilia before she throws a fit and starts wrecking Gensokyo. I think I may just beat you up to make you get out of my way, and remove some stress.” Reimu then mutters. “Although why she can’t send Sakuya is beyond me.”

Rumia blinks. “Is that so~?” she asks innocently.

Her response is a bop over the head by Reimu’s Gohei. “Yes.”

The bonk on the noggin, however, was enough to stimulate the youkai’s mind into coming up with a way to appease the grumpy miko.

“What if I help you?” she asks.

“What?”

“I’m gonna look for this book thingy!” Rumia repeats.

Reimu blinked a few times, internally doubting if Rumia even knew what a book was, before she grinned slyly. “OK, go ahead, knock yourself out. Go look for the book. But stay out of my way, otherwise we’re wasting people to look around.”

The small youkai was oblivious to the fact that Reimu was just using this to trick her into leaving; however, she just ‘bounced’ up and down in the air happily.

Now free of the youkai in her way, Reimu looked around, before flying towards Marisa’s. As per usual, Reimu was relying on her intuition, which was telling her that if anyone stole from the Scarlet Mansion, it was Marisa.

===

“Aww, I can’t find Mystia and Cirno...” Rumia sighed, as she entered a grove filled with fireflies, in the centre being the firefly youkai, Wriggle Nightbug.

Wriggle was the Darkness Youkai’s closest friend. While she too was childish, and not strong, and not too bright, she was a level-headed, calm youkai. Certainly she is smarter than Rumia.

“Wrrrriggle!” Rumia shouted, startling her friend.

“Rumia? Why are you here at this hour? It’s not like you to come to one of the brightest places in the forest at night.” Wriggle says, indicating the fireflies swarming around, illuminating the grove.

“I’m gonna help Reimu with an incident! Wanna help?” the blonde said like a child going to Disneyland, sparkly eyes and all.

The insect youkai paused. “What kind of incident?”

“Apparently someone stole something from the lady in the mansion near Cirno’s place. Reimu’s looking for it and I got in her way and she threatened me but I said I’d help and she’ll leave me alone.” Rumia replied quickly, waving her arms by her side.

Wriggle takes a few moments... and several slower repetitions, to understand what Rumia just told her.

“What was stolen? I can ask the bugs to look for it to help us.” Wriggle says.

Rumia blinks a few times, before she breaks out into a huge, cheesy grin, from one ear to the other.

“That’s something Reimu can’t do. Bugs are everywhere!” she says, before a loud croak comes from her pocket.

“What was that?” Wriggle says.

“It was a frog! I think I’ll call it Dinner.” Rumia answered blankly, of course, the original plan was that it was her dinner for the night, but with this whole incident thing, the airheaded youkai had forgotten that, and decided to call it Dinner as a name, and turn it into a pet of sorts.

“Well... keep it in your pocket around the fireflies or it’ll eat them.” Wriggle says.

Wriggle stood among the fireflies for a few minutes, which fluttered around her, a look of focus etched on her face, before she chuckled. Wriggle was communicating with insects.

“Rumia... the bugs say they saw... someone steal a book... out of Marisa’s hands. Someone fast. So fast they couldn’t tell who it was.”

“Someone stole from Marisa?!” Rumia exclaimed.

“Yes. And I think I know the only person fast enough to do that and get away.” Wriggle comments. “That reporter bird who took photos of us a while back.”

“Oh yeah, the crow that lives on the mountain!” Rumia says.

“Ribbit!” the frog croaks up.

“Well, if the crow took the book, we gotta take it back! Let’s go to the mountain!” Wriggle says, taking off.

“Yeah!” Rumia comments, following, before she stopped abruptly.

“I don’t know the way.” She says.

Wriggle facepalms. While used to Rumia’s derping, it was annoying at times, even if Wriggle herself wasn't 'bright', she wasn't a moron either. “Rumia, the mountain is that huge thing over there.”

“Oh yeah. I forgot. I don’t leave the forest much.” Rumia commented, before the duo... or trio if you count Dinner the Frog, began to fly towards the Youkai Mountain.

The two youkai flew towards the mountain looming in the distance, exchanging meaningless banter between them. The frog in Rumia’s pocket occasionally joined in by croaking.

However, before long, a floating object flew inbetween the youkai and the mountain, right on their path. The object was a purple umbrella, closed.

“Rumia, what do you think this is?” Wriggle asked, tilting her head a little.

“I dunno.” Rumia commented, as she approached slowly, and reached out to prod the object.

Just before her finger touched the umbrella, an eye opened on it, and a tounge rolled out of a formed mouth, before the umbrella sprang open, and a figure appeared.

“Boo!” the karakasa said, as a young girl who could only really be described as a ‘Blue Moeblob’ materialised.

Wriggle and Rumia looked shocked at the karakasa, which caused her to begin spinning around happily.

“Yay! I actually surprised someone! They’re not humans but it’s still great!” the karakasa chimed as she spun, before she stopped, and looked in thought.

“Ya’know, I bet I can surprise you two more if I do this!” she says, before she starts to spin her umbrella around, the prongs at the edges beginning to glow.

It takes a moment for Wriggle to notice what this means, before she calls out to her slower friend: “Dodge Rumia! It’s laser danmaku!”“OK~” Rumia replied, as she flew to the side, just in time to evade an attack of blue, spinning lasers from the umbrella of the strange karakasa.

“You were surprised! You were!” the karakasa said happily, ‘bounceing’ up and down in the air, before she closed her umbrella, and the figure vanished.

“What’s she up to now...” Wriggle wondered, before the umbrella began flying towards Rumia at a high speed. The darkness youkai evaded the tackle, and fired off a shotgun shot of danmaku, on point, striking the karakasa.She veered off her straight line for a moment on impact, before she opened back up and looked annoyed. “Oh boo. That didn’t seem to work...” she commented, before she pulled out a spellcard.

“Large Ring: Umbrella Halo!” the karakasa declared, the card shining in her hand, before it vanished. Upon this, she began to swing her umbrella around her body violently, unleashing a spiral of pink danmaku. It was neither thick, or that fast, but as it furthered from the karakasa, the bullets morphed into diamonds, of rainbow shades.

Even for Rumia and Wriggle, a spellcard of this level was not much of a challenge to evade, and it was only moments before they were confident enough to unleash their own counter-attacks.

“Moon Sign: Moonlight Ray!” Rumia declared, before she slowly brought her hands fowards, a laser emanating from each, while she fired rings of small white bullets , cancelling out much of the karakasa’s own attack.

“Lamp Sign: Firefly Phenomenon” Wriggle declared, fireing out a rather intricate spiral of danmaku, which slowly fanned out, while her familiars, small fireflies, fired targeted shots at the Karakasa. The two spells easily overwhelmed the karakasa’s, and her spell ended.

“Aw… I pulled a weak one again.” The karakasa said sadly, before looking at the two youkai. “I guess you’re not surprised anymore?”

“Not really.” Wriggle says. “It’s not easy to get surprised by Danmaku. Not when Reimu’s beaten you up before.”

“Uh huh.” Rumia agreed. “Nor when you hang out with Cirno and fairies!”

The karakasa looked dejected for a moment, before she brightened up. “You’re not gonna beat me up are you?”

“Why would we do that?” Rumia asked the karakasa.

“Because people always beat me up. Every time I find Reimu she beats me up. And Sanae, and Marisa.” The karakasa complained. “I only just got beat up by Marisa not long ago…”

“Don’t they beat up everyone?” Wriggle commented.

“Well… uh… we’re not them.” Rumia replied.

The karakasa looked to be in thought, before she smiled.

“I like you guys! I can surprise you and I don’t get beat up for it! I’m Kogasa! Kogasa Tatara! I’m a karakasa! I’m actually the umbrella, the blue person is just an illusion! Everyone seems to forget that.” She says.

“I’m Rumia.” Rumia says, before pulling out her frog. “And this is Dinner, and that’s Wriggle, and those are… uh... Wriggle… what do you name those thingies?” Rumia says, getting confused halfway through.

“They don’t have names. They’re just fireflies.” Wriggle says. “Now, we’re looking for Marisa, where did she go after beating you up?”

Kogasa thinks for a few moments. “That’s the weird thing. I was following Marisa, to surprise her and everything. She had a book, and kept going on about ‘Scarlet’ or something. Then something dashed past her really fast. Marisa got mad, saw me, Sparked me, then went to Youkai Mountain.”

“Did you see who it was?” Rumia asks.

“I’m pretty good at seeing fast things. I’m pretty fast myself!” Kogasa says proudly, before adding, “Problem was I don’t know who it was. They were wearing a lot of purple.”

“Purple?” Rumia asks. “Aya doesn’t wear purple.”

“I don’t know anyone who wears purple...” Wriggle asks.

“Well, I guess Aya knows everyone in Gensokyo, so we can go there and ask her anyway!” Rumia says, before looking at Kogasa. “You gonna come with us?”

Kogasa shook her umbrella from side to side, before she shook the illusion’s head. “No. I gotta get back to the Mouyren’s Graveyard. That’s my home. Besides, there’s a couple of old ladies who come by in a couple of hours who are fun to scare. I can’t miss that!”

With that, the Karakasa flew off, and the two youkai began heading for the Youkai Mountain again. However, as they approached, they realised they did not know where on the mountain they would be able to find Aya.

“Rumia... where do you think the crows will live?” Wriggle asks.

“The top! They’re birds! Oh wait, maybe the trees... but they’re at the bott....” Rumia began before the night sky lit up with the tell-tale beam of rainbow light that meant Marisa was fighting.

“Well that’s gotta be where Aya is, or whoever stole the book! We can go up there, and teach ‘em both a lesson after they’re worn out! Then Reimu will be happy and not beat us up!” Rumia said, forgetting, of course, Marisa’s boundless energy, and the fact she doesn’t really get tired.

“I get the feeling it won’t be that easy Rumia, but you got a point, Marisa should be tied. We know she’s fired at least two Sparks now, she shot Kogasa earlier.” Wriggle says, assuming Marisa has some magical ‘Spark Limit’. Because after all, who wouldn’t get tied firing off lasers that big?

====

Plot Insight/Inspiration:

This is something I'll add every now and again, to explain my thought process that made me take certain routes in the plot.

I decided that due to her somewhat childish nature, Kogasa would be a sure-fit for Team 9. While the first quest was made with no intention of a second, I still wanted Kogasa to have some interaction with Wriggle and Rumia.

I consider Kogasa to be the umbrella, and the 'person' is just an illusion, created by the spirit of Kogasa, so she can communicate better with humanoids, and 'blend in'. When the umbrella shuts, the figure vanishes. Kogasa has a few more tricks with her illusion too.

Kogasa commenting she 'Pulled a weak one' is of course a reference to Kogasa's pretty wild power levels, and the fact Kogasa has easy cards, and very difficult ones [*Cough* Midnight Train *cough*]. She picks cards at random, to surprise herself, and to surprise foes with her fluctuating power levels. Kogasa's fighting style is basically 'Surprise-Fu'. Except spellcards.

Of course, a few things were added or elaborated upon from Rumia Quest 1, such as the 'weak one' comment.

Anyway, the first quest will most likely cover 3 more chapters, [including a segment not in the original RQ, but is very important]. Then more serious things will start up.

Rumia and Wriggle proceeded to do something they hadn’t done before. They flew towards where the Master Spark came from. However, by the time they were there, the fight was clearly over. The Spark had ruined a few trees, fired from the ground, and Marisa was on her knee, clutching her left arm, and panting heavily, wincing.

The witch, however, noticed the two youkai arriving, and sighed.

“What brings you two idiots all the way out here?” she asks, pain clearly in her voice.

Marisa looked surprised for a moment, wondering how these two childish youkai knew what happened, before she grinned.

“Well, if you guys solve this mess, I’m not being one-upped by Reimu. I hate it when that happens.” She says with a grin. “I can’t solve it, I took a nasty fall while fighting and I’ve done something to my shoulder, so I can’t grip my broom to fly.” Marisa begins, pausing for a moment. “Anyway, Aya keeps going on about how she can’t let me beat up the thief without her tryin’ to stop me, Tengu rules or something, like that Mountain mess a while ago. She probably won’t let you through either.” Marisa finishes.

The witch then looked in thought.

“I know, you guys can borrow this. It can amplify magical energy, and might give you what you need to blast them for me.” Marisa says, holding out her Mini-Hakkero.

“You sure that’s OK?” Rumia asks. “That’s your Sparky thing!”

Marisa nods. “You’re usin’ it for me. And if ya don’t give it back, I’ll just come find you, beat you up, and steal it back, ze!”

Wriggle looks cautious, as Rumia happily takes it.

“How do we even use that thing?” Wriggle asks.

“You just focus your magical energy into the Mini-Hakkero. It’s like an amplifier. I don’t know what the result will be, so I’d suggest you only use it if you have to. May not be safe.” Marisa says in a tone which implies she legitimately has no clue if the Hakkero would explode in the faces of the two youkai.

The trio looked at each other, as if expecting someone else to talk, before Marisa looked annoyed. “What are you dopes waiting for, go beat them up for me, Aya should be tired!”

--“Ayayayaya... what kind of mess has she got into this time? It’s so annoying; I have to defend her so the Tengu can deliver justice on their own, when they’ve investigated. It’ll be too late by then...” Aya muttered to herself, flying around the Tengu Village on patrol. “She’ll just go out in an hour or so and spread everything she gained anyway.”

“Who’s she?” Rumia asked, popping up in front of Aya, making the crow Tengu move back in surprise.

“What are you two doing here? I’ve never seen you further away from that forest than the Hakurei Shrine.” Aya asks.

“Help’in Raymoo find a book and Marisa blast some people.” Rumia says, before Wriggle can cover her mouth on the last part.

The crow Tengu just smiles, and puts her hand on her forehead for a moment, before speaking. “Well, I don’t exactly agree with having to protect the perpetrator either, but Tengu rules say I have to. If you want to find the one behind this, you have to get through me.”

“Can’t you just... let us through and pretend you lost?” Wriggle says.

“The Tengu are not that stupid. However, there is one way. I’ll make a bet with you. If you two can withstand this spellcard of mine, I’ll stand aside. Going back on your word is not allowed for Tengu, and I can’t say I didn’t try and stop you either. However, if you can’t withstand the spellcard, then you can’t pass.” Aya says. “Deal?”

Wriggle and Rumia look at each other for a few moments.

“You got any better ideas Rumia?” Wriggle asks.

“I dunno, why?” Rumia replies.

“Because I hear Aya’s really good at danmaku!” Wriggle says.

“I got an idea, how about a trade!” Rumia suggests.

“A trade? The universal agreement between youkai. I guess if you have something of value I can stand aside too.” Aya says.

Rumia takes this chance to pull out the Mini-Hakkero, and Dinner the frog. Aya just facepalms.

“The Hakkero isn’t yours, I can’t take that, and a frog isn’t something I want. No.” The Tengu says.

“OK, I’m out of ideas Wriggle.” Rumia says.

“Then we have no choice. We accept.” Wriggle says, as Aya gives a sly smile, and pulls out a spellcard.

“Let’s get started right away then! Illusionary Dominance!” Aya declares, before she soars high into the sky, and begins to move at speeds so fast that it appears she is in multiple locations at once, a blurr moving in multiple directions simultaneously.

And suddenly, from the crossing lines in the sky, a dense rain of green, leaf-like danmaku begin to fall.

Upon noticing this, Rumia and Wriggle begin to dodge and weave, getting clipped and grazed by danmaku, but, it is very evident that they would quickly be overwhelmed, so instead of dodgeing and weaving, they decided instead to stand their ground, and fight danmaku with danmaku.

“Night Sign: Night Bird!” Rumia declared, before sending out waves of larger bullets, which collided with Aya’s bullets, and either cancelled them or knocked them off course, like a defensive barrier.

Wriggle, on the other hand, just used a nonspell, using firefly familiars combined with her own danmaku to create a matrix of bullets akin to Aya’s.

However, despite the two youkai outputting danmaku, Aya’s attack was still getting through, and pushing their danmaku back, through sheer volume. It was only a matter of time before they were overwhelmed...

Except that moment never came. The danmaku stopped, and Aya floated in front of the two youkai, panting.

“Ha, that spellcard takes a lot out of me. I can’t move at those speeds for long, it times out in but a few seconds.” Aya says, adding, “And it was even shorter than usual thanks to Marisa earlier.”

Aya panted a few more times, before she spoke again. “Well, the thief is Hatate Himekaidou. She probably stole the book for a story to outdo me. You’ll find her in the building with the ‘Kakashi Spirit News’ sign on it. Can’t miss her, she wears a ton of purple and white.”

The frog took this moment to pop it’s head out of Rumia’s pocket, and croak loudly. Aya looked at it, before she smiled.

“I have an idea. If you let me give that frog to someone higher up on the mountain, someone might come to help you, you see, there’s someone who lives on the peak who likes frogs a lot.” Aya says.

“So, wait, you want the frog now?!” Rumia exclaims.

“No. I know someone else who would want the frog. Besides, you called it Dinner. If you ate the frog she’d probably come and beat you up for it. Wouldn’t you rather her possibly helping you?” Aya says.“Sounds like an idea. We are not using the frog for anything.” Wriggle comments, adding, “And if there’s a chance someone could come and help...”

“I wonder if the frog lady is the same frog lady Cirno mentioned.” Rumia interjects.

“Probobly.” Aya says.

“She’s almost as strong as Cirno Wriggle! We need to get on her good side!” Rumia said, waving her arms.

“Yes, having someone almost as strong as Cirno on our side is always good!” Wriggle agrees.

With that, Rumia pulls Dinner out of her pocket, and gives the frog to Aya, before the tengu flies up the mountain, far slower than her usual pace. The pair of youkai then look across the Tengu village, before they stop the house Aya described. The Tengu houses are simple, wooden huts, with the exception of one.

The pair land outside the hut, and knock on the door. Movement is heard within, before the door opens, and a tengu the pair had never seen before appears.

She is waring a purple and black checkered dress, with a white shirt. She has twin pigtails in ber brown hair, and is holding a device if some sort, yellow and black, which looks like it has one of those ‘camera’ things Aya has on it. She is also holding a book, and has, over her shoulder, a bag filled with papers.

“If you two don’t mind, I’m about to make my rounds. Big story here.” She says.

====

Yes, Rumia, Wriggle and the others believe Cirno's boasts about being 'The Strongest'. When she fights someone strong, she comes back unharmed, after all, so can claim she won.

Aya's whole motivation for not letting the group pass basically mirrors MoF, where she doesn't *want** to stop Reimu/Marisa, but orders say she must. She finds a workaround anyway. The Tengu are very traditional and self-focused, so don't like outsiders meddling in 'Tengu affairs'.